Dolphins practice report: Zach Vigil rising, Jay Ajayi returns

Even before Jordan Tripp’s ankle injury, undrafted rookie linebacker Zach Vigil had been working his way on the roster.

But with Tripp on crutches and his long-term status not immediately known, Vigil could be an even more important player for the Dolphins.

Vigil was one of the few bright spots in the Dolphins’ dismal second half on Thursday, when they were outscored 24-0.

He played 42 snaps on Thursday, third-most for any Miami defensive player. He had a team-high five tackles with two for losses and a sack.

“He has good instincts as a football player,” coach Joe Philbin said after today’s practice. “He competes hard. I thought it was a good first outing.”

Vigil, who is primarily playing on the weak-side, was named second-team All-America last season at Utah State by USA Today.

He said Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle and linebackers coach Mark Duffner reached out to him before the draft.

“I felt that if I wasn’t drafted, this would be the place that I would come,” Vigil said.

Heading in to the draft, Vigil was considered strong against the run but average in coverage.

“I feel like I’ve improved,” he said of his coverage. “I’ve got to keep working to get better, get your feet hot and quicken your breaks.”

He’s confident in his run game but knows the NFL is a different game from the Mountain West, where he was Defensive Player of the Year last season.

“I still have to be able to shed blocks at this level because the o-linemen can run and they’re strong and physical,” he said. “That’s where I need to improve also.”

Even as an undrafted rookie, Vigil believes he can be a leader in the locker room.

“I think the strength I bring is leadership and that’s something I need to start building upon,” he said. “As a young guy that’s hard to have because you don’t have a foot in the door. You have to earn that trust.”

Ajayi returns: Rookie running back Jay Ajayi returned to practice today and is determined to prove that he belongs.

Ajayi has been out for a week with a hamstring injury and missed the preseason opener. Even before the injury, he was falling behind in the race for the No. 2 running back spot. Damien Williams is the current leader.

But Ajayi said he was pleased with the way he was playing before the injury.

“I feel like I’m on the upward point to where I’m just progressing each day,” he said. “That’s really what I want to do is get better each practice. I’m hoping I can get fully healthy — 100 percent healthy — so I can just continue that.”

Ajayi knows that the injury slowed down his progression because he lost valuable practice time. He said he needs to show coaches that he has consistency.

“That’s one thing I’m working on, just being consistent, just being able to make plays each day, each practice,” he said.

Philbin likes guards: Philbin said he liked what he saw from Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner in Thursday’s preseason opener.

He said they’ll also benefit from practices against the Panthers on Wednesday and Thursday.

“I thought they did a good job,” Philbin said. “The way the preseason is setup it’s going to be really good for them to go now to Carolina and practice against more of a four-man line.

“I think they both competed hard, I think they both had some really good plays on tape. Obviously it wasn’t perfect, but I like the way it’s setting up that we’re going to play a four-man line this week.”